All Blog Posts Tagged 'Menus' (40)

Who doesn’t love carrot cake? I sure do, and when I learned there was actually a day devoted to celebrating it, I couldn’t wait to make one in its honor. For the record, food historians suggest modern carrot cake probably descended from carrot…

Mincemeat, a mixture of chopped dried fruits, spices, and spirits, is a favorite holiday ingredient most often found in pies and tarts. It was developed more than 500 years ago as a way of preserving meat without salting or smoking, and gradually…

If you’ve already run out of ideas for what to serve at your holiday drinks party, think “biscuits” — not your average breakfast biscuits, but these yummy bites from Kerrygold. Laden with sage and walnuts, these buttery bites are a…

I haven’t posted for a few weeks and my Irish guilt is gnawing at me! So it’s back to business as “that time of year,” aka “the holidays,” is fast approaching. I’ve already started plumping my fruit for the several varieties…

As promised in my last post, here’s another interesting recipe using one of fall’s most popular ingredients---pumpkin. Since most cooks find it more efficient to purchase canned pumpkin rather than to cut and scrape the flesh from a fresh one, this…

The combination of chocolate and fruit is one that few can resist, so when I decided to offer this recipe for warm fruit compote, I realized I posted it back in February as a suggested topping for chocolate mousse cake to serve on Valentine’s…

I’ve seen a lot of fresh figs in markets lately and know how delicious they are with blue cheese, usually mixed in salads. But then I remembered this recipe from Peter Ward, proprietor of the legendary Country Choice market in Nenagh, Tipperary, and thought it’s…

I found this summery dish of cod and tomatoes at Encore Brasserie in Derry’s Millennium Forum. I love the simplicity of roasted fish combined with the sophistication of Spanish ham and two kinds of tomatoes.

Once June rolls into July, the strawberry season in most parts of the country comes to a halt. I can never get enough of them though, and I love this tasty combination of sliced fresh berries topped with strawberry purée. The elderflower…

When it comes to cooking up something special on Sunday for your favorite father, a juicy steak and a fresh salad are just the ticket. For a special touch, add an Irish-inspired sauce to the steak and some yummy buttermilk dressing to the…

If it hasn’t made its official appearance yet where you live, you can expect rhubarb to be showing up shortly. One of the earliest spring vegetables — yes, it’s a perennial vegetable — it’s generally used as a fruit in desserts and jams. Since rhubarb is almost too…

With only a few days to go before we celebrate Mother’s Day, you might want to think about giving her a real treat — breakfast in bed! Sure, you can take her out to brunch, but breakfast in bed creates a real Hallmark moment — “you care enough to cook…

I usually try to tie my posts to seasonal recipes or ingredients — Easter chocolate, Mother’s Day, Christmas cakes, etc. — but I deviate this week with this recipe for granola. Why? Because I love it, and yesterday I made a fresh batch to keep on hand to sprinkle on fruit and yogurt or muesli, one of my new…

Two weeks and counting! In the event you don’t have a traditional dessert lined up for your Easter meal, you might want to think about this delicious and versatile cream cheese pound cake that’s as tasty with or without any…

While carrots have a long growing season in Ireland, I generally think of them as a springtime vegetable since they’re obligatory with a St. Patrick’s Day meal of bacon and cabbage and, of course, as the favorite food of Easter bunnies! As we welcome…

In a land where sheep were traditionally a primary food supply, it’s not surprising that lamb is the foundation for many farmhouse dishes. Shepherd’s Pie, a long-time favorite, was originally created as an economical way to use leftover lamb and was always…

Ash Wednesday already? A little more than two months agoall thoughts were of Christmas turkey and ham, and only a few weeks ago we were digging into Super Bowl chili and munching on Buffalo wings. But now it’s time now for fish, and…

Valentine’s Day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of poet Geoffrey Chaucer, when the tradition of courtly love was very much in vogue. The day evolved into an occasion where lovers expressed their feelings for each…